Lee Ju-hyung (22-KEUM), who has been one of the most dominant players in the early 20s since being traded, did not make the roster for the Asian Professional Baseball Championship (APBC).

The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) announced the final 26-man roster for the APBC on Thursday at a joint press conference with the managers of the participating nations in Tokyo, Japan. The tournament is open to players aged 24 or younger (born on or after Jan. 1, 1999) or in their third year of eligibility (born after 2021), with up to three players aged 29 or younger (born on or after Jan. 1, 1994) as wild cards.

Ryu Jung-il, who took over the reins of the APBC after the Hangzhou Asian Games, named his final roster of 12 pitchers, three catchers, six infielders and five outfielders.

Jung Woo-young (LG), Park Young-hyun (KT), Won Tae-in (Samsung), Kwak Bin (Doosan), Moon Dong-joo (Hanwha), Choi Ji-min (KIA), Kim Young-kyu (NC), Kim Dong-heon (Kiwoom), Kim Hyung-joon (NC), Kim Hye-sung (Kiwoom), Moon Bo-kyung (LG), Kim Joo-won (NC), Noh Si-hwan (Hanwha), Choi Ji-hoon (SSG), Kang Baek-ho (KT), Kim Sung-yoon (Samsung), Yoon Dong-hee (Lotte), and 17 Asian Games gold medalists, including Jung Hae-young (KIA), Choi Jun-yong (Lotte), Oh Won-seok (SSG), Lee Yi-ri (KIA), Choi Seung-yong (Doosan), Son Sung-bin (Lotte), Kim Hui-jip (Kiwoom), Kim Do-young (KIA), and Park Seung-gyu (Commerce), were honored with the Taegeuk mark.

However, the final roster did not include Lee Joo-hyung, who boasted a peak hitting performance in the second half. Lee was included in the preliminary roster announced on Aug. 31, but was denied a spot on the final roster, and was also left off the 20-man reserve roster, which is kept in case players need to be replaced due to the Korean Series and postseason schedule or injury.

Born in 2001, Lee was selected with the 13th pick in the second round of the 2020 KBO Draft by LG out of Gyeongnam High School. Highly regarded for his talent from the start, Lee moved from LG to Kiwoom in a trade with Choi Won-tae on July 29, which turned out to be a turning point in his career. After batting just 1-for-9 with four runs and two RBIs in 32 games with LG, he finally found his wings after the trade, batting 3-for-3 with six home runs, 34 RBIs and a .911 OPS in 51 games.

He was expected to make the final APBC roster, but injuries slowed him down. A season-ending left thigh muscle injury lingered and prevented him from fulfilling his dream. Due to the aftermath of his injury, Lee Ju-hyung played as a designated hitter from late September until the end of the season. 토스카지노 도메인

In a phone conversation with OSEN on the 24th, a Kiwoom official said, “Lee Joo-hyung is currently rehabbing from a left thigh muscle injury. There was some strain on his body due to the rapid increase in the number of games he played in the second half of the season,” he said.

With the exclusion of Lee Ju-hyung, who has become Kiwoom’s main center fielder, the national team’s outfield roster includes Choi Ji-hoon, Kang Baek-ho, Kim Sung-yoon, Yoon Dong-hee, and Park Seung-gyu, who is currently serving in the military.